Last night, Irislee and I sat outside looking at the stars. It was late. Time for bed. We walked in, checked on our sleeping children, and realized sleeping children were not to be found. All four of our kids were still fully awake. In bed, but fully awake. Today is the first day of school and with a million thoughts rushing through their minds about classrooms, friends, and potential teachers, sleeping was an impossibility. As the oldest two ran to the bus stop this morning and the youngest two climbed into our van, it was clear that adrenaline would keep them alert until the end of today. I’m waiting for the crash sometime early tomorrow morning.
We spent a lot of time preparing our children for September. We went clothes shopping. Online shopping greatly reduced the painful experience of walking through shopping malls! We also bought school supplies. Finally, we met with each child individually and talked about their feelings, our expectations, and then we prayed with each one. Then this morning, Ellie, Isaac, Hannah, and Olivia zoomed off to three different schools.
While I’m writing this blog, I’m putting together an online Christmas catalogue to help raise support for Burmese schools in Mae Sot.
Once again, I’m caught between two worlds.
Here in the Okanagan our teachers are on strike. They’re still teaching but they have eliminated a lot of the other tasks in which they normally participate (supervision, writing report cards, after-school activities, for example). I’m not making a judgment on their decision to do so. I’m simply noting that expectations of teachers in Mae Sot and those of teachers in the Okanagan are a world apart.
Here’s one product you’ll see in the Christmas catalogue:
What’s going on in this picture? These teachers are in the middle of a Hygiene 101 course offered by Imagine Thailand. You’ll notice that there are no sinks. Water is carried in these basins from the well, city pipeline, or water filtration system and placed on these basin stands. This whole set-up, including a large supply of soap, costs $100.00. Through donations, we can create a school setting where students can wash their hands regularly and hygienically. A bit of soap and clean hands and the incidences of disease will decrease.
Here’s a picture of a group of teachers you wouldn’t want to shake hands with…at least not until they’ve completed their training…proper hand-washing techniques!
As for teaching supplies, classes are bare so here’s what we’re trying to secure for each preschool teacher in Mae Sot:
This whole resource kit includes…
15 scissors ~ teaching children to cut shapes
Tool set ~ imaginative play
Animals ~ imaginative play, counting, teaching family, teaching small/medium/large, short/tall, colours
Doctor set ~ imaginative play, colours
Cooking/tea set ~ imaginative play, colours, things in the kitchen
Ocean world underwater set ~ imaginative play, colours, float/sink
Small ducks – math concepts, colour, imaginative play
Funnels – imaginative play
2 large bowls for sand/water play
Storage bags
Blackboards
The cost for this amazing kit? $100.00.
Thanks to your support in the past and the support you continue to give, the expectations of teachers in Mae Sot and the fulfillment of those expectations will rise step by step.
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PS. If you can’t wait for the Christmas catalogue and want to give right away, you have two options:
a) Write a cheque to Emmanuel Church – mail it to Emmanuel Church, 2600 Hebert Rd. West Kelowna, BC V4T 2J6 and write HANDS THAILAND or TEACHER RESOURCES THAILAND on the cheque memo line depending on which project you want to support.
b) Give online – follow the link http://imaginethailand.org/donate/. Follow the DONATE link through to “Donate by Area of Ministry” and fill in the amount. On the comment line write “HANDS THAILAND or TEACHER RESOURCES THAILAND depending on which project you want to support.